Tom Lehrer- Whatever Became of Hubert

A song about some old politician that probably died long before I was born.

Whatever Became of Hubert

• Category

  Comedy

[AllahMan]

Hubert was the Democratic candidate for president in 1968, after being Lyndon B. Johnson's Vice President and after Bobby Kennedy got shot. Just a little FYI.

:)

[joebthegreat]

What policy of Nixon's was so horrible? Clearly he broke the law, but what the hell did he do to so utterly ruin our planet? If Humphrey was elected would there no longer be terrorists, extremists, nukes, or pollution? Would we suddenly be immune to desease? Would the starving all suddenly not need food? Was Humphrey magical?

[zisel2]

there's no way to know that now! thanks nixon!

[dehdeh55]

I also would not say "infinitely better". No one can tell what an alternative reality would bring. By comparison with Reagan or Bush II, Nixon's policies look good! For example, he tried to get a healthcare plan through much like obamacare. Nixon was very hard on the environment, however.

[chinwe71]

Err...sorry to say but Americans' trust in their government would have definitely been destroyed anyway.

[chinwe71]

Yes but it is false to say that the world would have been infinitely better. Because it really wouldn't. I mean the Vietnam war aside I don't see what he would have done to influence modern history to an infinitely better place.

[rubberry54]

For those of you who can turn off the WWE soap operas, Hubert Horatio Humphrey was the original triple H.

[dehdeh55]

I think he was making fun of his major audience, the Eastern intellectual establishment which was liberal and admired Humphrery, and despised president Johnson. So these people are whining about Johnson being president and not Humphrey. Liberals like to be made fun of, especially if it is witty.

[dehdeh55]

I do not think this was anti Nixon. Humphrey might have opposed the Vietnam war, or at least gone easy until there was an achievable objective, while Johnson tried to "nail that coonskin to the wall". Lehrer's audience wanted Humphrey to lead opposition to the Vietnam war, but he had to support his president. History proved Humphrey right.

[valeriereified]

I agree... given the disgraceful campaigns Humphrey ran, his courage seemed to have left him around '50. I would have voted for Nixon in '68... but most assuredly voted for McGovern in '72. It's to President Obama''s good fortune that he didn't face an opponent so noble and forceful as McGovern, otherwise he'd be a one-termer.

[zisel2]

read nixonland to see how he ruined the country politically/watergate destroyed americans' trust in their government and opened the floodgates for the dismantling of the social safety net

[Mosil0]

I just noticed that the melody in that Schubert line is from the composer's lied Ständchen. I never stop finding new jokes in these songs.